MCP's have now been long known in the art; early patents were Goodrich et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,128,408, "Electron Multiplier", granted Apr. 7, l964 and Goodrich et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,341,730, "Electron Multiplier with Multiplying Path Wall Means Having a Reduced Reducible Metal Compound Constituent", granted Sept. 12, 1967.
An early patent disclosing chevron-paired MCP's was Goodrich U.S. Pat. No. 3,374,380, "Apparatus for the Suppression of Ion Feedback in Electron Multipliers", granted Mar. 19, 1968.
In typical prior art MCP's, recovery time (owing to slowness of movement of electrons in channel walls to replenish electrons previously emitted from the walls) has been in general several milliseconds. This has limited the frequency (herein, in proper context, "frequency") of use of the device to about the order of 200 Hz.
A single section (total of two electrodes) MCP with lower resistance in amplified-end channel surface zone material has been suggested in the prior art.